She said she knew the cash mob was coming, but she was surprised by the size of the group.

“I was excited, very excited,” Malcolm said. “Are you kidding? I couldn’t believe it. This was more than I was expecting.”

The Easton Main Street Initiative's successful cash mobs inspired the chamber to try one in Phillipsburg for the first time, said Meg Dowd, director of Phillipsburg and Easton initiatives for the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce. The chamber will organize a cash mob every few months, and businesses of any size are eligible to benefit from them, she said.

“We decided to do this because we want to help our Phillipsburg businesses,” Dowd said. “We want to showcase all that they have to offer.”

The cash mob is designed to bring attention to businesses like Thomian Gallery & Gifts that people may not otherwise know about, she said.

Malcolm said she hopes the cash mobs draw more customers for her and everyone else in the downtown area. Summer is slower for business, but customers still showed up and rang her doorbell when she tried to close last week, she said.

Today, shoppers found their own special treasures.

Linda Kish said she grew up downtown and likes coming to shop. She always sees the sign for Thomian Gallery & Gifts when she’s driving past it, but she’s never had the time to stop in the store. Her husband, Dave, bought a die with a prayer on each side as a gift for the chaplain’s aide in the Boy Scout troop he leads.

Although this was the Kish's first cash mob, it won't be their last, he said.

“I definitely see us coming out for more,” Kish said. “I think it’s a great idea.”